In this episode Mariska and I explore beating yourself up after mistakes and appropriate boundaries. My former student deals with the ethical challenges of taking one of her students in after he is removed from his family.

In this episode Mariska and I explore how people blame themselves for their mental anguish and build a world where the "deserve" their pain. There is A LOT of discussion of suicide in this episode so if that is not something healthy for you to listen to you may want to skip this one.

Also in this episode Mariska is petty toward Tina and Cher, the family cats.

In this episode Mariska and I explore the seductive practice of refusing to face your reality and taking the Wiley Coyote strategy of running off the cliff and refusing to look down to avoid the fall. How do we help people in our lives who are doing that? Tune in to find out.

In this episode Mariska and I discuss some things to consider as clients talk about their medications and how a therapist can stay in their scope of practice while talking about meds.

In this episode Mariska and I explore the thorny dilemma of how you decide whether or not to disclose infidelity, or other behaviors you are not proud of, to your partner.

Mariska wants everyone to know that the cats, Tina and Cher, have not been invited into the podcast studio and had no part in the making of this episode.

In this episode Mariska and I discuss the challenges of doing couples therapy with clients that you typically see as individuals. Also we reveal the names of the new cats that have moved into our house and how Mariska feels about their arrival.

In this episode Mariska and I talk about the impact you make when you share your story with your therapist and how that action can help so many people you will never know.

In this episode Mariska and I explore the risks of snooping on your partner's phone and what to be prepared for when you find something you don't like. We also talk about the incredible benefit of bringing a list of topics to talk about with your therapist.

In this episode Mariska and I talk about how a therapist handles it when they have physical symptoms that are keeping them from fully focusing during a session. We also talk about clients who may not want to get better and why. Finally we close with saying goodbye to 2025 and our positive hopes for 2026.

In this episode we explore how to give the right amount of F&*$s when little things go wrong in life. We discuss toxic positivity and what can go wrong if you do not acknowledge your feelings. Mariska and I also remind you that it doesn't need to be Giving Tuesday to support Paws for Patrick and any other charity of your choice.